1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to front wheel suspension structure of a saddle-type vehicle (e.g., all terrain vehicle), and a vehicle incorporating same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a front wheel suspension structure of a saddle-type vehicle, where a double wishbone suspension system is mounted on a vehicle body of the saddle-type vehicle.
2. Description of the Background Art
There is a known saddle-type vehicle (an ATV type vehicle) operable to run in an off-road environment or on an uneven road. The saddle-type vehicle includes a double wishbone suspension system for suspension structure on a front side thereof. In the suspension structure of the saddle-type vehicle, in which the double wishbone suspension system is mounted on the vehicle body, a lower arm is arranged in front of an upper arm.
An example of such known saddle-type vehicle is disclosed in the Japanese Patent Document JP-A No. 2006-273140.
A front shock absorber configuring a portion of a front suspension is a relatively heavy member in the front suspension. An upper end of the front shock absorber is attached to a body frame and a lower end is attached to the lower arm through a substantially triangular-shaped portion, when viewed in a top view, formed by the upper arm and a front side of a tie rod. The lower arm is molded by casting, and is a relatively heavy member like the front shock absorber.
In a saddle-type vehicle where the vehicle is configured and arranged so that weight of a body is concentrated in the proximity of the center of the body, its posture in the air when the vehicle jumps is easily controlled. However, when the front suspension components such as the shock absorber and the lower arm (which are respectively relatively heavy) are arranged on the front side of the body, the weight of the body is distributed in a more spread-out arrangement and consequently, its airborne posture during a jump is less easily controlled, and such a situation is not desirable.
The present invention has been made to overcome such drawbacks of existing front wheel suspension structure for a saddle-type vehicle. Accordingly, it is one of the objects the present invention to provide a front wheel suspension structure of a saddle-type vehicle where mass can be concentrated in a position close to the center of a body of the vehicle.